


Inhuman Places Breed Human Monsters

by hydesboy



Category: The Shining (1980), The Shining - Stephen King
Genre: Nonsense, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, its set in the overlook but that's about it, the Shining - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:02:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23013709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydesboy/pseuds/hydesboy
Summary: Madness and one's saving grace come hand in hand, but when they both offer their hand to you there can only ever be one that you can dance with.Ooooooh this is going to be the MOST self indulgent nonsense, and I'm almost but not quite ashamed of myself for writing this. It's not quite a self insert, but it's the character that is pretty much just my persona so it's pretty much. Any violence chapters will have warnings in the notes before so you don't have to read anything you don't want to
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

Edmund Campbell was not the best man in the world, but by any stretch of the imagination, but nobody could claim they were wholly good. There wasn't a single soul, living or dead, that could be nothing but good, for even the best, the pious, the selfless, the glorified martyr that had not even a moment's weakness where the fabled evil could creep into their life and stain the pure slate of their soul.  
Edmund was not a good man, but he was not a bad man. He was but a mere man. A man who, despite the tragic folly of being born a human, was trying his darnedest.

It seemed that things were at last looking up for him. Having gotten dreadfully overwhelmed by any and everything, he had managed to make a series of rash decisions one after another, with none of the calculations that he would have ordinarily approached even the most insignificant decisions.  
And now he deferred from his university course even though he was in his final few years, proposed to the woman that had held his heart in her hand to for so very long, and took up a job in the middle of goddamn nowhere for the whole of the winter months.

The weight of his university requirements had been crushing him from right off the bat, so perhaps it was merely inevitable that he would need to leave if he wanted to keep his mind. He adored Mina Hobble with all his heart and soul, but had never found the right moment to ask for her hand, so it worked in his favour that it had simply happened one day, no grand show of theatrics. But his new job as the winter caretaker for the Overlook Hotel, well, he felt as though he was well over his head with this.

At least he wouldn't be going there alone. Mina, with a laugh when he told her what he'd gotten himself into, had insisted she accompany him to stop him becoming some strange hermit way up there in the mountains all by his lonesome. Although he had tried to talk her out if it, insisting he'd be fine, he couldn't help but be relieved by her stubbornness meaning she outright refused to let him go alone.  
Together, he was sure, the months would simply fly by and it would be a tale to tell when they came home. 

As the day of their moving to their new home neared, the days before grew busier and busier. Last minute preparations, packing the warmest things they owned, and then shopping for more when they realised they didn't have nearly enough to accomodate six whole months, and of course the social aspect of trying to spend time with everyone they felt they would be obligated to see before they were off, and the reassuring of these people that there is a phone at the hotel so they wouldn't be completely isolated up there.

Through all of this, there was a sense of excitement towards the unknown adventure that the two of them would be embarking on so very soon. Even the sense of apprehension that Edmund had been stuck on when he first came off his wee manic period and got the news of his new employment had been almost completely chased away. It was Mina's enthusiasm towards it that had done it, he was sure, and he was also sure that he was grateful for this.

It was with a light heart that they stuffed the car to almost overflowing when the day of their departure finally came. It seemed a mammoth journey from the tiny little flat that the two of them shared, but the decision to leave earlier and use the added time to do a touch of sightseeing at the lookouts on the way. The view, he'd been told, was said to be breathtaking, so they were quite eager to see the sights that were supposed to make a grand hotel all lonely in the mountains a supposedly world renowned tourist attraction.  
Edmund admittedly hadn't given it a proper gander on the day of his interview, his trip down spent fussing over everything that could happen, and in turn spent his trip back fretting about everything that did happen, as was his wont.

With little more than a glance back, Edmund and Mina were off into the unknown that lurked behind the shut doors of the Overlook.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They chill. They just got there

There was no doubt about it. Aesthetically, the Overlook was a marvel of architecture and location. The giant accommodated countless numbers of people as they came and went over its long and grizzly history. To say that death stalked its ornate halls would not be a far cry from the truth, for it had been marked with tragedy from the day it came into being. There were three things that every hotel had, no matter what corner of the world it occupied, and that was rats, scandals, and ghosts. They did their best at getting rid of the rats, bury the scandals, and forget the ghosts but there were some things that could never be removed completely. In a building of such gigantuous size, there were countless corners to brush away the undesirable matters, and corridors that were perfect to hide in until there came the time they wanted to be seen.  
The time to be seen once more was coming so fast, and like a mighty hibernating beast at the end of the season, the Overlook was beginning to wake up.

"There's no need to worry about us, Mr. Ullman, sir," Edmund promised, upon his face the smile of one who was wanting to win favours sat, a salesman trying to sell himself like a cheap watch, "We've brought enough books with us to fill a small library."

This seemed to satisfy the other man, who responded with a curt nod and chirruping hum.  
"Well then, I have a flight to make. Hope I won't have to hear from you until May."

With this said, the manager turned at left the two of them standing there, looking perfectly pleasant in the lobby until he was well and truly out of sight. Letting out a big sigh, Edmund was quite sure he released all the air that there had been in his lungs.

"What a prick." Mina stated simply.

"Oh, he's a complete bastard," the other returned, his smile slipping into something far more sincere, "Couldn't wait to see him out the door."

"Be careful now," said she, her hazel eyes wide in a mock alarm, "If we talk about him too much we might end up summoning him back here, and we'll have to put up with his pompous arse explaining how to close windows properly again!"

"Oh!" Edmund declared in a comically woeful lament, a hand so delicately brushing against his forehead, "God forbid!"

As he whirled away in an exceptionally dramatic manner, the two of them let out easy laughter. In the great big, lobby their laughter carried far and wide, filling the empty spaces with the sounds of happiness. Sounds of which echoed back at them, distorting ever so slightly.  
The hotel was all too good at echoing something that was once familiar back in a way that was distorted into something wholly unfamiliar in its place. Its had years of practice, and it was horribly good at its act.

Stretching his arms out wide in a stretch that appeared to be the absolute height of luxury, the reality of their situation seemed to settle down upon him all at once. They really were up there alone, a good few hours drive away from another human being, and that was assuming the weather would permit, and from what he was told the days that the weather would permit would be growing fewer and fewer at they approached the heart of winter.

Oh god, eventually they'd be snowed in there and they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.

"I guess this'll be home for a while, huh?" he asked, more musing aloud than really seeking a proper answer.

"The things I let you talk me into doing." tsked Mina, shaking her head, a playful look on her face making it quite clear that she was speaking merely in jest.

Edmund raised his hands up in a mock soft of surrender at this.  
"I gave you the option to not, you can't hold me to this." A ghost of a laugh trailed his words, the two of them quite successfully failing in appearing even feigned serious.

Casting a lingering glance back over her shoulder, Mina made her way over to the almost excessively large window, a delighted gasp escaping her lips as she looked out across the sight. Seeing the vast stretching mountaintops, some capped with wee hats of snow, some still waiting for theirs, the far stretching forests, the cloud swollen sky, she almost wished the windows were larger, not wanting to lose even an inch of this grandiose view.

Edmund, who had joined her by the window, however, was distracted. While she was there enjoying the wonders of the natural world, he found he couldn't draw his eyes away from Mina herself for long. The auburn of her hair, in the afternoon light, shone with a flickering flame, her eyes a bright gold, making her appear ethereal. Oh, how he loved her, and everything about her good or otherwise. The small scar on her chin from when she fell from a tree trying to drunkenly show off when they first met. The distracted smile that played on her lips when caught up in happy thoughts. The life she brought with her by simply being. Even the fact that her first response when startled was to take a swing, and by extension the strength of her blow was endearing. But of course it was, because he loved her, his dear Mina, and he would never let himself find fault in the one that had so completely caught his heart.

"What're you looking at, silly? The view is out there." said she, acknowledging that she had, in fact caught caught him staring. Not that he was being all that subtle with it.

"I dare say I've made my choice." he returned, a shy sort of smile playing across his lips as he spoke.

"Oh, you old sap!" Mina declared, playfully taking a swat at his shoulder, a blush creeping across her face, which her only attempt at making came by her turning her attention back towards the window for a good few moments, happiness dancing across her features in a way that made his heart melt.  
"You know what, Edmund?" she asked, glancing back to him, "I dare say coming here is going to be one of your best ideas yet."

"I hope so," came his response, gently, almost cautiously draping an arm over her shoulder, "I think we're going to be happy while we're here."


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see a familiar setting from the canon. How fun

Perhaps it was simply due to the nerves of it being the first night in a still largely unfamiliar location, or simply because the near excessively large room they had decided to occupy that evening, but his voice boomed loud and full of life as he spoke the well crafted words of another.

The two, curled up happily on the lounge, a lounge of such a size they had joked they could each lie across it and not reach the other, were each wrapped in a wonderfully cosy blanket. It felt much like the height of luxury, and Edmund had found it easy to see the appeal for the guests to come all the way up there to the middle of nowhere for a holiday. Beauty, comfort, and grandiose elegance seemed a difficult mix and yet the hotel was perfectly accommodating in all regards. He'd have tipped a figurative hat to the person that had designed the place, but given its age he was sure that the person had long since took up residence six feet down in the dirt.

For one that was usually quite contained in his movements, at that very moment he was marvelously animated in the most theatrical sense. Stretching out his arm, reaching, gesturing, grasping and clasping as the words seemed fit, his tone wavering with intensity and pitch as the lines flowed from page to even the furthest corners of the room. There was a smile upon Mina's face as she watch him, feeling almost as if she was watching a theater production rather than being simply read to. He, in turn fed off her reactions, hamming it up, giving pause for her to respond, be it laughter, shock or scandal, before he carried on. There was a light in his eyes, a smile upon his face, and a cheeriness to his disposition, and it suited him.

When, at last, he fell silent, the book he was reading put to the side, his breath was coming fast, seeming more like he'd run a marathon than had been reading. His hair, normally quite orderly, fell about as an almost wild mess, though he hadn't bothered to brush it aside, rather turning his attention over to his beloved, a warmth shining within his dark brown eyes. The delight upon her face at having been read to matched his own delight at having read to her in its intensity.

The familiarity in this, amongst the unfamiliarity of the world they had fallen so willingly into, made all the more needed, as well as appreciated. It was as if they had claimed this place in the world and made it their own.

A few days, nearing a week, passed by uneventfully. The wind had yet to sour unbearable, and things were beginning to form a routine as the days carried on.

On a wander of the halls, one of a distracted sort that Edmund had chosen to allow his legs to dictate his path while his mind wandered to other places, caring not where he would end up as it was a destinationless walk. He still had duties to do before the snow came, and neither appeared less daunting than the other. He'd never reshingled anything in his entire life, and yet he was expected to replace a decent amount of shingles on the roof. Likewise, he'd never properly gone about sheering plants, and yet he was expected to trim the topiary and prevent it from losing its shape before the snow came and stunted its growth. Edmund knew that he had agreed to all this, signed the contract that meant he had no choice but to do his duties, but that didn't mean he had to want like them. At least these were things he would only have to do once or twice, unlike, say, dumping the boiler which had to be done twice daily. He doubted that he'd ever find himself comfortable in the boiler room, as it was hot and stuffy, cramped and crowded, dirty and clearly rarely tended to.

Stopping his aimless meandering of the halls, he found himself a tad curious of a room that had been boasted about on the tour but not properly shown to them. It was this curiosity, he could assume, that had landed him in front of the room in question, the Colorado Lounge. Slipping through the doors, he had expected there to have been at least some exaggeration towards the place, but even a brief glance about when it had been dismantled for the winter he couldn't deny it was impressive. The rug, usually spread out across the floor, was rolled up nice and safe, stored out of the way in the far corner to protect it from fading, dirt, and other mishaps that could easily befall a carpet that was left in a practically empty building. Chairs had been placed up high on the tables for an ease of cleaning, giving a brief impression of young girls squealing and clutching at their petticoats as they hid on the table after catching sight of a mouse passing by. Adorned by art and extravagant decor, there was a timeless impression to the area, making him feel almost as if he about to step out into another time altogether when he finally left. With a chuckle, Edmund felt a little under-dressed standing in there in a heavy grey sweater and simple jeans, but the thought of this had simply brought a faint chuckle into the silence of the room.

The room was quiet. He hadn't really noticed until he had made sound, but it was almost disconcertingly quiet. It was a room designed for noise and life, so it was in a sad state to have these taken away from it.

Shaking his head, his curiosity satisfied, he turned to move back out again. This was as short lived retreat, however, as his eyes strayed off and landed on a wee table he had missed on first glance. Resting almost smugly upon it was a phonograph, its mouth silent but glittered invitingly in the gloom. It looked as though it very much wanted him to play it, and he was almost inclined to listen to it right there and then.

That evening Edmund invited Mina to accompany him back to the Colorado Lounge. He'd expected the records to skip and be uncooperative, as would be just his luck, but no, with not even the slightest hindrance, the music flowed out of the machine. It was a song he couldn't name, but it felt right as it washed away the silence with its melody.  
He stretched out a hand, inviting, patient, and she took it. Together they danced in the empty building hidden away in the mountains. Danced as if they were the only two in the whole entire world, for it felt like they were. Even as they danced he was restrained, as if he was doing his hardest to hold himself back. Not that she cared, for as they twirled and delighted in each others presence, she couldn't be happier. It may have been a sloppy, mistimed almost waltz, but they were happy and enjoying themselves, and there was nothing better than that in the whole world.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chores end in injury

Even when she did finally set the phone back down on the hook, the banging from the roof carried on. 

Mina had decided that, while Edmund was out trying to figure out how to shingle something, let alone reshingle something, she would use the time to make a few phone calls. She had, of course, offered to help or at least keep an eye on him while he was up there on the off chance things didn't go according to plan. But no, he had insisted that all would be well, and so she set about filling the time with meaningless conversations with friends. God only knew how many chances she'd actually have to do so, for when the snow came they would be almost entirely cut of from the world. That was a horribly daunting thought, but the young woman was quite determined to not dwell on the inevitable unfortunate matters that she had no control over, spending the energy that would have wasted on doing something that would be of some benefit at least.

The sounds outside had fallen silent.

She held her breath, listening out for any sounds that something had happened. Perhaps he fell? Perhaps he'd finished? Perhaps he was taking a moment to consider the next step? She knew there was no reason to worry about him, he was perfectly capable, and almost excessively cautious.

Edmund always tiptoed around her, acting as though she might shatter into dozens of tiny pieces if he wasn't careful. Even when he hit a manic episode - those of which, she had noticed with much relief, had come with far less frequency - and his mouth ran faster than his brain and it seemed that he could never sit still again, he was still managing to control himself with a restraint that was almost impressive. But just because it was impressive that did not mean it was at all necessary. She was perfectly capable, and he knew this.

The door swung open and the man wandered in, as if her thinking about him had, in fact, summoned him into being. Although she was quite cosy inside, he was wringing his hands to bring warmth back into his fingers after having been outside for an unfortunate period of time.

"Everything all done up there?" she asked in greeting, flashing a perfectly natural smile with this.

"Thankfully," said he in return, glancing up from his hands to the other, "Glad its out of the way though, it's already getting dreadfully cold out there, so I'd hate to imagine what it would be like when the weather worsens."

"I can imagine!" Mina agreed, her eyes widening a little in a way that made her eyebrows raise in such a way that looked almost serious, "I hope you didn't catch a chill way up there as you skulked about on the roof."

"A chill?" he echoed, "No, but I did manage to catch my hand. Couldn't say when though."

When he raised his hand up so she could understand what on earth he was on about, she realised that he had not been simply trying to warm up with the attention he was giving his hands, but had rather been trying to nurse an injury on it. At some stage during his work he had managed to hit his hand with the hammer, the area already beginning to bruise up with all the colours of the setting sun, the mark visible even though the dried blood from where the accidental blow had split the skin.

Well, perhaps not as capable as she had given him credit for.

"That's a doozy," said she, taking a few steps closer to properly examine the injury, "You stay put, I'll go get something to fix that up right as rain, okay?"

Although he had gone to protest, just as she knew he would - he always had, never wanting to cause a scene, cause anyone to fret, dismiss concerns, happy to sit there in his own blood as long as it meant no one was going out of their way for his sake - she still turned to leave. Mina paused her retreat, however, to point pointedly at the chair she had been not long ago occupying when she had been on the phone.

Thankfully, despite them already being there for a good couple of weeks already, they hadn't thought to properly unpack everything they had brought. It felt almost wrong to fill the staff apartment with themselves yet, like they were intruding into a space that was not for them to claim. At least this is how it felt to her, and she could only assume it was the same for the other. Fetching the little medical pack that they had discarded off into the corner of the room. They'd hoped that bringing it would only be a precaution, but she was silently thanking their past selves for having the sense to over stuff it. She'd thought she would be the one to be needing it first, but evidently that was not so.

Her journey back to where he was waiting was spent rummaging to find the necessary supplies that would be needed, and by the time a thought about wanting a cup of tea had reached Edmund's mind, she had returned the moment he planned to stand up.

With careful fingers, Mina set about cleaning and dressing his hand. He had managed to do a number on himself, but thankfully it didn't seem to be anything too serious. Just unpleasant looking.

"I was on the phone to Jeremy earlier," she began, wanting to distract him from her work.

"Oh, yes," Edmund replied, his response coming a beat later than it should have, not that she had noticed this, "And how is he?"

"Well, apparently, he visited friends the other day, and by midday they'd all striped down to their boxers in the lake!" Her laughter came earnestly, having to take a moment before she could deal with the bandages, "Could you even imagine in this weather?"

"I can't imagine doing so in the heat of summer."

"It's a marvel no one saw them! I'm sure the police would have been called in a heartbeat!"

Her intention with this conversation was actualised, as the man was most certainly not thinking about his injury any more. The smile upon his face was perfectly crafted, a painted doll or grinning mask against his face. While he didn't necessarily share her merriment about the subject matter, to see her smile and laugh was enough to ease anything else that had dared to make itself known in the back of his mind.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first snow falls

It seemed that timing had been on his side, for not even twelve hours after he got around to giving the topiary animals their final trim of the season did the first snow come.

Edmund's hand had been healing nicely, a lingering scab and some slight discolouration that had once been a stormy bruise was all that showed that he had allowed his attention to drift away from his work. When he was sure that he wouldn't manage to cause any further injuries, prompted by the threatening colour the sky had been growing into - it was looking somewhat like the bruise had bled off his hand and into the world around them - he had dedicated a good few hours to bring a decent enough sense of order to the plants, and an extra hour to make it more orderly than it was. He was only content to return to the cosy comforts of the indoors when he was sure he had done the very best job that he, even with his limited experience, could do. He had done a rather decent job with it, even Edmund himself would have to admit this, even if it would have had to take some prompting to get him to do so.

With the warmth of the mug clasped securely in his hands bringing with it a sense of security, there was little better in the world, as far as he was concerned, than watching the first of the season's snow come fluttering down in a fluffy sheet of nothingness. Of course, it was made all the better being able to enjoy the sight with good company, and the comfort that came with a cup of hot cocoa.

"D'ya think it'll keep snowing the whole time we're here?" asked Mina, one hand pressed against the cold of the glass, gazing out into the world, which was being rapidly covered up in a thick coating of snow.

"More or less," he returned, taking a sip from his mug. The liquid was far too hot still, so it took a moment or so to collect himself so that he wouldn't react to it. "They said it would be snowing on and off quite frequently," a beat, another sip that he had to play it cool afterwards, "Apparently even more intensely than it is now."

This didn't seem all that daunting, if anything it was even somewhat of an exciting prospect. Like they were existing in their own private world that existed for just the two of them, a wonderfully delightful idea.

"I hope we'll get a chance to go out," said she, taking her hand off the window, swapping it with the hand she'd been holding her mug before placing the other against the window, a sharp contrast between the two, "I'm sure it'll be lovely out there in the snow."

"I'm sure we'll get the chance," came his response, a small smile playing across his lips, "They were kind enough to leave us with an excess of snowshoes, so we won't be disappearing under the snow any time soon."

"I've never used snowshoes before." Mina stated, sounding particularly excited about the opportunity to try something new during the snow.

"Neither have I," Edmund replied, not sounding put off by this, matching her enthusiasm with his own more quiet sort of energy, "But I dare say we have more than enough time here to figure it out."

With the possibility of fun new experiences on the figurative table, the far less desirable implications of the snow were far from their mind. The heavier the snow would fall, the faster they would be cut off from the world, not just because the roads would be unsafe and unable to be cleared because it would be too hazardous to do so, but their communications to the outside world would be soon snatched away from them. Admittedly Edmund was not too phased by this inevitable outcome, but Mina was a far more social soul and so this was far less desirable for her.

As if on time, the phone rang and broke the serene silence. Evidently there had not been enough snow to kill the phones yet. It was a unanimous agreement that the call would have been for Mina, Edmund excused himself to do a quick check around to make sure there wasn't any windows they'd forgotten to close on their current floor.

The howling of the wind outside seemed to fill the hotel, loud yet not unpleasant in its insistence. While it wasn't the worst sound in the world, it wasn't the most enjoyable background noise to the tedious task. It only took a handful of moments before the hum of the phonograph sung along with the wind, blending together to create a strange, yet wonderful sort of melody that was real, that was true, and was capable of not only settling the mind but bringing a cheer to the soul. It was a very exaggerated thought, but he was in a good mood as he went about his business so perhaps the heart of it rang true.

Without being fully aware of it, he lingered longer in the halls that the music had floated through to, his attention not fully there. Thankfully all he had to do was check the windows in the areas that they frequented more than others, because in his brief loss of concentration he would surely have done a job that would bother him the next time he happened to go into the room.

With a quick shake of his head, he forced himself back to reality. A drifting focus never appears good for anyone at all, and that was far from desirable. A clear mind made for a proper man, and a proper man was the ideal that any man should strive for. Rather than letting his focus be shaped by the music, be listen out to see where he could and couldn't hear the side of the conversation Mina was having, curious to see how well sound could travel in the area. He wasn't eavesdropping, however, certainly not, he wasn't listening out for what she was saying, but rather just listening to hear the sound of her voice. Eavesdropping was unseemly, and he'd never sink so low.

Confident that there was not a single window open, he turned and headed back to where his cocoa had been cooling to an unpleasant temperature.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get some fun and happiness before things eventually become less than fun

She had managed to make the monumental trek of five whole steps before she found herself landing with a thwump in a mound of thankfully soft snow. With a cheery, earnest giggle upon her lips, she looked up to see that Edmund had managed to make it an impressive few meters further than she had before he joined her with a tumble of his own. Given that she hadn't expected to move at all, rooted to the ground like a silly tree, the fact she had been able to get even as far as she had was a success as far as she was concerned. She'd never used snowshoes before, but she could say with some certainty that they were fun, even if it was just because she could see the look of slightly confused determination - or determined confusion, depending on how one might want to look at it - on Edmund's face as set about the task of moving around with what was little more than over glorified tennis rackets.

Setting about hauling herself to her feet, Mina wasn't ashamed to admit it was more of an ordeal than it should have been to regain her footing, all the clumsy stumbling and unsteadiness included. At least she had decided to get up, rather than accept her fate and just lie there, much as the man had been.

"Come on," she chirruped, blushing the snow that was so determinedly clinging to her away, this being a somewhat less than successful venture, "We're not gonna get anywhere just lying there, up at at 'em!"

He did, at the very least, make an effort to try and bring himself to his feet. It wasn't all that successful and landed him back down on the ground in a far from elegant sort of way, a sigh accompanying this as he went right back to simply lying there.

"I'm not gonna come out here and dig you back up, you know?" said she, trudging awkwardly across the ground, almost losing her footing more often than she made successful steps, but at least she managed to keep herself from tumbling right over a second time. When she had gotten close enough, she held a hand out to him, moving into a shaky sort of crouch.

Things did not quite go according to plan. She did manage to pull him up, which was the intention, but ended up losing her balance in the process and fell back, pulling him back down with her, giving him a whole of ten seconds of being vertical.

At least the cold wasn't bothering them all too much, given that they were spending an awful amount if time getting their entire body covered in the snow.

Letting out an audible breath that could have come in any reason between irritation, amusement, and simply because he'd wound up face first in the snow once again, Edmund rolled himself over, a sort of a smile on his face.

"Did that go according to plan?" he asked in a way that seemed flat to anyone who wasn't accustomed to his speech patterns and mannerisms, but to those who were close enough to him would have come across as being mere seconds away from laughter.

"Oh, hush you!" she returned, the more obvious nature of his good humour coming through tenfold in her response, a sparkly laugh lurking within her words in a way that was plain to see and warm to hear. What was less warm, however, was the snow that she dropped onto his face and proceeded to harmlessly rub into him with a far more victorious trill to her laugh.

Before he had the chance to retaliate, she rolled away, popped up into a sitting position, and proceeded to haul a snowball at him. Despite the fact it had missed quite completely, it was an impressively smooth action all things considered, and so she considered it an honorary hit.  
What came from this was, of course, a snowball fight for the ages, with what felt like all the snow in the world at their disposal and no one to see them and think them silly - a concern more pressing for Edmund than it was for Mina - they were free to laugh as they played with the enthusiasm of children that were experiencing their first snowfall. It delighted Mina terribly to see the other brought to such a state of laughter that he was wheezing, breath coming short and with undeniable delight.

The wind unfortunately sent them scurrying back inside before all too long, the bite of the wind providing more of a chill with their damp clothes than the snow was managing. Settling herself down in the warmest nook by a heating vent, a blanket draped over her in favour of having to change out of her clothes, there was a consistent smile curling up her face quite pleasantly. The promise of a hot cocoa that Edmund had wandered off to the kitchen to make for them both had her excited, the weather perfect for such a warm treat. It was almost a stereotype to come in from the snow to enjoy a hot cocoa, but there was a reason it had become a stereotype and she certainly wasn't complaining.

Her attention drifted, eyes landing upon the book that sad discarded on the table. Perhaps, when he returned, she might ask him to read the next chapter or so while they enjoyed their drinks. She was quite sure that he wouldn't say no, even if it had been more than a couple days - they were getting slack! - since they had touched the book, leaving it there all by its lonesome in the big old room.  
She was also alone in the big old room, and he was taking his time to return. Drawing her blanket around her like a cloak, and feeling a little like a weary queen wandering the halls of her castle, she strolled off to try and find the other, cheerily humming along with the music she could hear floating down from further down the hall.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully Edmund doesn't catch hypothermia

The snow had gotten so much heavier than it had been. They had been told to expect levels that they would never have seen before, but even with the warning this was more than they could have ever anticipated. It was almost as if someone had taken a blanket and tossed it over the landscape, leaving it as nothing but shapeless white blobs that had once been a stunning sight to behold. Or perhaps somebody took it upon themselves to paint away all that they deemed to distractingly eye catching in the world, leaving it a near blank canvas with little more than the ghosts of what once had been there, easily forgotten as they days rolled by in the eternal march towards oblivion that each an every person is forced to walk.  
The world was white, and quite successfully cut off to the easily perceived, a private island floating in what might as well have been an endless void of nothing. It was a sobering thought to have the world reduced to so little in such a short period of time.

When the snow came, the phones were cut off.  
Thank god.  
There were no more phone calls, no more chattering - happier than when directed to him, he was sure - and he was surprised to find that he was glad of this. Out of all the phone calls that were either made or received by either of them, Edmund could not say more than two had anything at all to do with him, Mina taking the majority of phone traffic by far. Not that he was jealous over this, he did snatch her away from the life that she was living, even if it was voluntary on her behalf, and so she had all the right in the world to maintain contact with those she would have to be away from for the entirety of the Winter months.  
He wasn't jealous, he knew this. Jealousy was an unseemly emotion that it was crucial that he suppressed away until it was no longer a cause of alarm. Locked away in a part of himself that he would much rather forget existed at all.

Although his footfalls were as quiet as could be, making sure that he never made too much noise, the hallways had an odd way of picking up each and every sound made within its walls, echoing and distorting and twisting it about until it came as something unfamiliar even to his own ears. It was a strangely disconcerting sound, but he pushed aside any discomforts that he dared to experience just as it began to make itself known in his greater conscious.  
At that time, he had left Mina on the couch, engrossed in the silly television drama that they had brought with them, the sort that they couldn't rightly say they enjoyed but were certainly fascinated by. While it was far too cold to go for a proper walk, and too cold by far to be out long, he still stood out on the porch, the iciness of the air cutting through the heat that raced through him with such a fearsome intensity that it had driven him outside in the frozen solitude. In each breath that he could see billow away from him, a cloud disappearing before his very eyes, he imagined it to contain the indecent thoughts that had dared fill his mind and set his heart aflutter in a way that he simply could not permit.  
Even robbed of all coherent sense of meaning, from where he stood, the world seemed dazzling. The light of the hotel setting the settle snow to shine like crushed diamonds, those snowflakes that still falling glittered and gleamed like stars shaken from the heavens and sent tumbling down to the earth in a brilliant display. With a smile curling his lips up in a show of happiness that belonged solely to himself, he found himself humming along with an unheard - was it unheard? If he listened heart enough he could have sworn he could hear gentle music floating out from indoors, sounding worlds away - music, rocking ever so slightly from the balls of his feet to his toe tips and back in time with the music.

The man seemed, in that moment, to be simply human, and marvelously human at that. But, of course, at the very moment he became aware of what he was doing he fell still, reigning himself in until there was so little remaining that anyone passing him could have missed him when looking right at him. He had gotten so good at being only what he thought he ought to be, and he was not willing to succumb to the undesirable notions that dared worm their way into his mind, an infestation of humanly urges, as they had always tried to do before he rid himself of these before he was make to reflect upon them.

The cold was well and truly biting at his nose at this moment, and yet he still forced himself to brave a good few more minutes, pushing himself to the point where his fingers no longer curled up in the ways that he wanted them to, even through the heavy gloves that he had made sure that he donned before setting out into the below freezing night air. For a moment he considered licking his lips, the bitter wind leaving them dry and a tad sore, but knew better than to do something so foolish as to wet his lips in weather that would surely have left them frozen and all the worse.

The first thing he noted when he slipped back into the warmth, before he was even aware of the sharp stinging the different temperatures brought, was that he must have been wrong. There were no sounds besides those of which were coming from the television was, no phantom music creeping out into the night, just the seemingly senseless buzz that came from the television. He followed the noise until he found himself stood in the doorway, gazing down upon the woman who had yet to notice that he was there. Several moments passed, but when she did finally catch sight of the still figure in the doorway, a warm and genuine smile crossed her face, patting at the empty space beside her in invitation.

He was not jealous.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now they're well and truly cut off from the world

The flittering snowflakes danced their dizzying patterns beyond the window, shimmering and cold in the mid-afternoon light. The concept of a winter wonderland did not seem to be quite so farfetched while watching the world outside twinkle and glimmer in a way that seemed unique to the cold. It did look cold, yet Mina was still quite tempted to duck outside so she might dip her fingers into the masses of snow that seemed to be growing faster and faster every time she looked away. From where she stood, gazing outside with no real intent, she could see the topiary animals - could she always see them from that window? Surely she must have, its not like plant animals could up and move like their real counterparts could - donning their winter coats of snow. The thought of this brought a smile to her lips, a moment of simple happiness that she did not have to share with anyone else in the whole wide world.  
An emotion that existed none other but the individual experiencing it was a truly powerful thing, and was not so frequently appreciated as being such by those too caught up in the world arounf them to consider themselves.

The music that she could ever so faintly hear from way off if she strained her ears enough to identify it as music grew suddenly louder. It was not very long at all before the reason for this made itself known, as the gentle clumping of footfalls grew louder and louder from further down one of the many hallways that the building seemed to have an excess of. The source made it, or, more correctly, himself known not all too long at all.  
Edmund emerged from around the corner, the softest of smiles upon his face as he was, evidently, caught up in some sort of happy thought or another. He seemed exhausted, though she couldn't say whether this was simply due to him seeming even paler than usual due to a lack of sunlight or because of any actual factors taking place.

"I just popped the kettle on, if you want anything?" she asked as a way of greeting the man, letting her attention shift over to him.

"Tea, if it would not be too much of a bother?"

"No, it would be the most bothersome thing," she returned immediately, though let out a laugh and added, "I was making some for myself anyway, so that'll be easy."

Edmund stopped his walking near the exact middle of the room, which would have been all well and good had it been any ordinary room, but they happened to be in one of the many excessively large rooms the hotel boasted. Mina had long since grown to expect this, so rather than waiting and hoping he might end up wandering closer, she simply breached the distance and sauntered her way closer to him herself. Not so close that he might be prompted to take a step away from her, however, for no matter how much she might be used to such a reaction, it did not mean it did not spike her heart with a jolt of sharp ice colder and more painful than the weather outside could ever hope to provide. She could not for the life of her imagine why it was he behaved like she might break if he was too close, tiptoeing around like the ghost of a backpacker in a china shop, though she told herself it was simply how he was and that was it.

"Phones are still out," she began, conversationally nonchalant with this, "You think that might be it, then?"

"I suppose it must be, though we do have the radio for the off chance we need to contact somebody," he returned, looking out into the snow-filled surrounds as if searching for any possible signs that what he had said might change, "Though I can't imagine there would be anything so pressing that a phone would be our only option, however."

"No, of course not, nothing like that," said she, biting back the wee grain of disappointment that his agreement brought, having secretly been hoping he would reassure her, "It was just that I noticed today was the day that Jeremy went on his two month trip and wanted to remind him of how much of a fuss he kicked up before he left. Remember that? He was acting like it was going to be an eternity!" she giggled as she said this last bit, the memory a fond one in her mind.

"I'm sure it felt like an eternity for you as well."

"What?" she asked, sure that she had simply misheard the tone he had spoke this in, for there was no way there would have been a bitterness in this. She couldn't imagine him being bitter, that seemed to be far too human for a man like him.

"Before you agreed to join me here for so long, I'm sure two months would have felt like an eternity as well."

With his clarification, she was not positive she had simply misunderstood his tone the first time, and she felt almost guilty for the moment the thought had flickered in her mind. Of course he wasn't bitter, and to assume he was jealous would have been a mighty stretch that, had she let herself ponder upon for even a handful of moments longer than she had, she would have likely jumped to such a conclusion.

"The kettle has boiled." Edmund noted before she had the chance to speak anything more on the matter, his head cocked to one side as he listened.

Almost as quickly as he had come, he turned on his heels and made his way towards the kitchen, his hands balled into tight fists clamped at his back, moving with just a little haste. Haste that kettles and tea did not usually bring to a person. But, of course, he was odd and so she could expect no less.

Mina could not say she had heard the kettle whistle, but she could suppose he was simply closer to where the kitchen was.


End file.
